Ashlee Simpson on Melrose Place & Motherhood

"I have a lot of room to grow and learn."

There's no pigeonholing Ashlee Simpson. Introduced to the world as big sister Jessica's younger counterpart, Ashlee, who turns 25 this month, has done a lot of growing up since her early pop-starlet days. She starred in her own MTV reality show, got raves for her role as Roxie Hart in a London production of Chicago, and has experienced life, by turns, as a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead. She has also established herself as a jazzy-pop-rock singer in her own right, with a hat trick of albums (two multiplatinum) to call her own. Last May, she married Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz and in November gave birth to their first child, son Bronx Mowgli. We caught up with Ashlee in her trailer on the Los Angeles set of Melrose Place. In the new CW series, a remake of the wildly popular '90s prime-time soap, Ashlee (a redhead these days) plays Violet, a newcomer to L.A. whose innocence is counterbalanced by, as Ashlee describes it, "a stalker creepy side." Ashlee herself, on the other hand, in a tiny jean skirt, a sheer blouse over a black camisole, and sandals, seems mostly like a besotted mom. Laughing and in constant motion, even while sitting, she regularly brings the conversation back to her very favorite subject, her baby boy, Bronx.

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What are you enjoying about this time in your life?

I don't sit there and say, "Oh! I'm 24!" But as far as career goes, it's kind of fun because I have had a child and I'm at a place where I get to reboot and do something new. In that way, I have a lot of room to grow and learn. I love that about my age. It's such a great place of coming into yourself — this is who I'm going to be. What I do now defines who I am as a woman and how people see me; they don't see me as a little girl. Your 20s are a great time to explore and a great time to have a baby. I get to jump into jobs, and Bronx gets to come with me.

How has having Bronx changed you?

I've grown up so much. The great thing about being pregnant is that you have nine months and it really does prepare you. Your body is changing, and it's such an amazing time to feel that connection. I did prenatal yoga, which was a nice way to mellow down and focus on me and Bronx. Being pregnant was the healthiest I've ever been in my life. Except for the cupcakes.

Did you enjoy your rounder body?

I didn't mind at all. I think being pregnant is so beautiful. Maybe I was just lucky, but I had the best pregnancy, and I loved giving birth. It was just the most amazing thing, so surreal but so real.

Is Pete a good dad? A great dad. So sweet and loving. I knew he would be, but it's so cool when it actually happens. When you see the dad with your son, it's a whole new side of them. Just beautiful.

How did you two meet? He asked my dad for my e-mail. I thought, Oh, sure, why not? And there was a long friendship before our relationship, which was nice because it was so comfortable when we did start to date.

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Has your relationship with your mom changed since Bronx? We were always close, but as you get older, and when you go through something like a pregnancy, you think, Oh, my parents are wonderful! You see a lot of ways that you are like them. I'd say my sister is more like my dad, and I'm more like my mom. My mom's more...she's straight up, and I love that. She does it in a very sweet way. She's also really laid-back. She's always been such a great mom, and now she's a great grandmother! Bronx loves her.

Being a mom is maturing, but does Bronx remind you of being a child, too? Yes! I still have a childlike spirit. But you can't be too free-spirited!

Any parts of your life you've given up? Sometimes I watch people who don't live a lot when they're younger and then later they're like, "I want to go out!" I say, "No, no, you should have done that before!" But it's always good for a woman to have a good time. There is nothing wrong with that!

What's the best part about your 20s? My son. He's the best part of everything.

Does your relationship with Jessica change as the years go by? Definitely. When I was 14, we started to have a closer bond. But when I hit my 20s, we got even closer. We're really, really close. She's close with my very best friends, and I'm friends with hers. I'll be at home with my son, and my friends will be staying at Jessica's house — which is funny because growing up we were just "the little sisters." Now she says, "Wow, your friends give me better advice than anyone."

You stood up for her earlier this year when she was getting flack for her weight gain. That was ridiculous. Jessica is such a beautiful person. People are way too harsh on women's bodies. Hers is gorgeous.

Do you ever think, Oh, Jessica's completely free, and I have so much responsibility? I really don't. She's always saying, "Oh, I want a baby!" Being a mom's so empowering and incredible. I'm one of those people who believes that life brings things to you at a certain time for a certain reason, and if you just go with it, that's where the best moments come from.

Is there anyone 10 or 20 years older who you think, I want to be like that? Julia Roberts does an amazing job at being a mom and staying out of the limelight. She just seems like she's really got it together. And look at Madonna. She's amazing, still going at it. She can put on a sick show — like an amazing show, that would be my 20-year-old language — and you would never know [her age].

What would you like to be known for at 40? I'd like to be an awesome mom. I'd like to have a big old family.

Do you think there's an ideal age? I don't know. It's always, "Thirties is the ideal age." Then, "No, it's 40s!" I guess I don't have an ideal age. I like to live in the moment. I'm looking forward to being 25, same with 26. You can only hope with each year and each decade you continue to grow and learn and live life to the fullest.

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